RIVERSIDE

The time for the Huskies to roll out the mat to start what is expected to be a rewarding and exciting wrestling season is almost at hand and the training room for the Highland boys is filled with go-getters ready and eager to put their skills to the test.

“It certainly raises the energy level of the room when you have more bodies and you get guys that are around the same weight and that are competitive, just raises the level of the room,” Highland wrestling coach Nick Cole said about the size of his team this year. “And we’re only going to get better because of that, and our guys that maybe don’t have as much experience are going to get better because of that. It’s been a while since we’ve had the room this full.”

A total of nine freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors, and three seniors make up this year’s varsity roster.

In the offseason Highland said goodbye to their lone state qualifier from a year ago, Luke Gusmen, but Highland does return two wrestlers who captured over 30 wins last season, Brock Thomann and Tyler Pierson. 

Thomann aims to be less passive and more aggressive this year.  Going from a sophomore to a junior, he steps into more of a leadership role this season.

“I learned that I need to be meaner and I need to be less worried about going in and taking shots and things like that,” Thomann said about what he learned from his sophomore year. “I feel pretty good going into the new season, and hopefully I make it to state this year.”

Pierson had a standout freshman year, going 34-12, and while he begins this season nursing an injury he enters his sophomore season full of optimism with one year of varsity wrestling under his belt.

“I just learned how to be more disciplined and stay on the grind,” Pierson said about what he learned as a freshman, “I have really good feelings about this season. My last season was pretty good, but I’m expecting more of this one, expecting to go deep into the postseason.”

“I’m excited about those two guys, because they do things the right way, and they get good grades, and they don’t get in trouble, and they come in and they work hard and they do what’s asked,” coach Cole said about Thomann and Pierson.

Getting better every day is the name of the game for Highland wrestling. Not making the aspect of winning and losing be everything and just trusting the process to constantly improve.

Starting their new season on the road, The Highland boys first competition of the year will be at Washington on Dec. 3.

“The only word I can use is excited. I’m just excited,” coach Cole said about the upcoming wrestling season “Great group coming in and we have some decent leadership. I’m just looking forward to seeing these guys on the mat in two weeks and seeing where we can adjust, and where we’re good and where we can improve.”